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YEREVAN TRADERS READY TO GO TO COURT, BLOCK ALL ENTRANCES TO PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS
epress.am
09.20.2011 11:09
If Yerevan City Hall declares Antsum-1 ("pass" or "crossing") CJSC -
which has proposed 455 million drams (about $1 million 214 thousand
USD) to revive the Abovyan-Koryun pedestrian underpass - as the winner
of the tender, then the vendors working in the underground passage are
preparing to block all entrances to the underpass and wait for that
"best and wealthy man."
This group of vendors, who might soon be prohibited from trading
in the underpass, was protesting outside city hall on Monday. Note,
these vendors primarily sell flowers, clothes and foodstuffs.
City hall has announced a tender for that area, and bids by three
applicants have been made: Getnantsum ("underground passage") CJSC,
which was established by the traders themselves, who have offered 255
million drams (about $680,327 USD); the 455 million drams proposed
by Antsum-1 CJSC; and a businessman by the name of Ashot Ohanyan
(pictured below), who has offered 400 million drams (about $1 thousand
67 thousand USD).
Protestors told Epress.am that they will "fight till the end."
"Definitely we'll take them to court; we won't leave it in this
rudimentary way - how would [you feel if] one day they come to your
house and say we are going to renovate and you won't be living here
anymore. We won't give in; we will continue till the end. We have
already prepared the documents: contracts, receipts, our expenses.
About six months ago, they came from city hall, they said if you gather
22 million drams [about $58,700 USD] we'll renovate it. We gathered it,
gave it to city hall for them to renovate, and they promised us they
would extend our contracts, but they came and made an insignificant
change - what they did definitely did not cost 22 million. And now
they say, what renovation is this? But they're the ones who did
it. Now it's the other version of the racket [fraudulent scheme];
they've put out an auction. If they're selling it, we can buy it,
renovate it how it should be. We know that if someone comes, he's
from their entourage," one protestor, a 35-year-old man, told the
Epress.am correspondent on the scene.
Also speaking to Epress.am was Gagik Badalyan, another trader in the
underpass, who said that if a decision was made not in their favor,
they are preparing to take extreme measures.
"I can't say what decision will be made tomorrow, but if it's decided
suddenly that Antsum-1 has won - I haven't decided this, we've all
decided it - we will close the underpass from all sides and stay
in the underpass, wait and see who is the best and richest man in
Armenia who wants to deprive people of their livelihood," he said.
The winner of the tender is set to be announced on Tuesday.
epress.am
09.20.2011 11:09
If Yerevan City Hall declares Antsum-1 ("pass" or "crossing") CJSC -
which has proposed 455 million drams (about $1 million 214 thousand
USD) to revive the Abovyan-Koryun pedestrian underpass - as the winner
of the tender, then the vendors working in the underground passage are
preparing to block all entrances to the underpass and wait for that
"best and wealthy man."
This group of vendors, who might soon be prohibited from trading
in the underpass, was protesting outside city hall on Monday. Note,
these vendors primarily sell flowers, clothes and foodstuffs.
City hall has announced a tender for that area, and bids by three
applicants have been made: Getnantsum ("underground passage") CJSC,
which was established by the traders themselves, who have offered 255
million drams (about $680,327 USD); the 455 million drams proposed
by Antsum-1 CJSC; and a businessman by the name of Ashot Ohanyan
(pictured below), who has offered 400 million drams (about $1 thousand
67 thousand USD).
Protestors told Epress.am that they will "fight till the end."
"Definitely we'll take them to court; we won't leave it in this
rudimentary way - how would [you feel if] one day they come to your
house and say we are going to renovate and you won't be living here
anymore. We won't give in; we will continue till the end. We have
already prepared the documents: contracts, receipts, our expenses.
About six months ago, they came from city hall, they said if you gather
22 million drams [about $58,700 USD] we'll renovate it. We gathered it,
gave it to city hall for them to renovate, and they promised us they
would extend our contracts, but they came and made an insignificant
change - what they did definitely did not cost 22 million. And now
they say, what renovation is this? But they're the ones who did
it. Now it's the other version of the racket [fraudulent scheme];
they've put out an auction. If they're selling it, we can buy it,
renovate it how it should be. We know that if someone comes, he's
from their entourage," one protestor, a 35-year-old man, told the
Epress.am correspondent on the scene.
Also speaking to Epress.am was Gagik Badalyan, another trader in the
underpass, who said that if a decision was made not in their favor,
they are preparing to take extreme measures.
"I can't say what decision will be made tomorrow, but if it's decided
suddenly that Antsum-1 has won - I haven't decided this, we've all
decided it - we will close the underpass from all sides and stay
in the underpass, wait and see who is the best and richest man in
Armenia who wants to deprive people of their livelihood," he said.
The winner of the tender is set to be announced on Tuesday.